Flight Following question

As Milen says, check IFR (it is not an IFR flight plan, that is just a
routing flag for ATC vs FSS), put VFR or VFR/120 for 12,000 feet or whatever
your filed altitude is. I also add VFR Flight Following in Remarks to
clarify my intent for some controllers who are not very familiar with the
practice. I recommend only doing this through DUAT/S, as most FSS personnel
are unfamiliar with it.

Stan


"Jim Carter" wrote in message
news:000601c71c5c$d669dee0$4b01a8c0@omnibook6100.. .


-----Original Message-----
From: Milen Lazarov ]
Posted At: Saturday, December 09, 2006 11:23 PM
Posted To: rec.aviation.ifr
Conversation: Flight Following question
Subject: Flight Following question

...
He did not say to file a VFR flight plan, he said an ATC flight plan
for
VFR
flight following - you check the IFR box, put VFR or VFR/altitude in
the
altitude box.

-Milen

Do you have any quick references for that Milen? I've never heard of an
IFR flight plan with "VFR" in the enroute altitude box. Or are you
referring to filing VFR-on-top? If so, that's a lot different than just
requesting flight following for VFR flights.

"Stan Prevost" wrote in
:

As Milen says, check IFR (it is not an IFR flight plan,

Call it what you want, but the form on top says FAA Flight plan.

1.Type is either VFR or IFR.

If you select IFR, you are filing a IFR flight plan. No grey zone about
it, all you are doing is fudging the system to get a plan routed to ATC.

VFR flight plans are not routed to ATC period.

Allen

A Lieberma wrote:

"Stan Prevost" wrote in
:


As Milen says, check IFR (it is not an IFR flight plan,


Call it what you want, but the form on top says FAA Flight plan.

1.Type is either VFR or IFR.

If you select IFR, you are filing a IFR flight plan. No grey zone about
it, all you are doing is fudging the system to get a plan routed to ATC.

VFR flight plans are not routed to ATC period.

You're wrong. Do it as he says and I get a strip printed for me. That
is the exact procedure I use when I enter a flight plan into the system
for a pilot. There's no IFR/VFR box to check so the altitude
information is the only way the computer knows if you are IFR or getting
VFR flight following.

Newps wrote in
:

You're wrong. Do it as he says and I get a strip printed for me.
That is the exact procedure I use when I enter a flight plan into the
system for a pilot. There's no IFR/VFR box to check so the altitude
information is the only way the computer knows if you are IFR or
getting VFR flight following.

Please see the FAA flight plan form the pilot completes. See box 1. type.

It's either VFR ir IFR.

If I check IFR on 1.type of the FAA flight plan, I get a center control
number that is filed into the ATC system via DUATS.

I DO NOT get a center control number when I FILE VFR. I get a remark the
plan is forwarded to the servicing FSS.

Maybe FSS forwards something to you when I file through FSS, but when I
file via DUATS, it's a very distinct difference on the electronic response.

There may not be any IFR / VFR box on your end, but there sure is on the
pilot's end filing the plan.

I also notice that the website Flight Aware NEVER picks up my VFR flight
plan filings, where as when I file IFR, it shows scheduled one hour before,
so I know there is some meat to my theory in that VFR selection on the FAA
flight plan does not get passed on to the ATC system.

Allen

A Lieberma wrote:

Newps wrote in
:


You're wrong. Do it as he says and I get a strip printed for me.
That is the exact procedure I use when I enter a flight plan into the
system for a pilot. There's no IFR/VFR box to check so the altitude
information is the only way the computer knows if you are IFR or
getting VFR flight following.


Please see the FAA flight plan form the pilot completes. See box 1. type.

It's either VFR ir IFR.

If I check IFR on 1.type of the FAA flight plan, I get a center control
number that is filed into the ATC system via DUATS.

Irrelavant what you receive. Checking IFR doesn't make you IFR.
"Cleared to...." makes you IFR.



I DO NOT get a center control number when I FILE VFR. I get a remark the
plan is forwarded to the servicing FSS.


Right.




Maybe FSS forwards something to you when I file through FSS, but when I
file via DUATS, it's a very distinct difference on the electronic response.


FSS doesn't forward VFR flightplans.





There may not be any IFR / VFR box on your end, but there sure is on the
pilot's end filing the plan.


I understand that. It's a routing issue. Perhaps DUAT doesn't allow
you to file VFR/125 as your altitude on your IFR flightplan. That is a
limitation written into the computer program, not anything from FAA.




I also notice that the website Flight Aware NEVER picks up my VFR flight
plan filings, where as when I file IFR, it shows scheduled one hour before,
so I know there is some meat to my theory in that VFR selection on the FAA
flight plan does not get passed on to the ATC system.


If you can file a plan as I stated above and see if it shows up in the
proposed list.

Newps wrote in
:

I understand that. It's a routing issue. Perhaps DUAT doesn't allow
you to file VFR/125 as your altitude on your IFR flightplan. That is
a limitation written into the computer program, not anything from FAA.

You are pretty much reiterating what I am trying to say.....

You don't receive VFR flight plans when WE FILE THEM. You only receive
IFR flight plans. (your words above as well!)

Now, with that in mind, the system is "fudged" to receive a VFR flight
plan, by us (pilots) selecting IFR to generate a strip.

No matter what happens on your end, it's FILED as an IFR flight plan.

And yes, until I accept the clearance, it's nothing more then a strip of
paper on your end, and when you see VFR altitude on your end, you revise
that filing to a VFR flight, and I call in to activate the flight plan.

Notice I am saying activate, and not accept a clearance as I fully
understand you don't "clear to" VFR flight plans.

It may be a matter of semantics, but in order for you to receive a strip,
an IFR flight plan has to be filed, thus the deliniation of type in box 1
for routing purposes.

What you do with it on the other end (ATC) is a totally different issue.

I just see this as fudging the system to force a way of flight following,
which in my opinion IS NOT a bad thing, just another way of working the
system.

Of course the pilot would need to know what he is doing would be accepted
as a workload permitted basis and not expect it to work every time.

Allen

"A Lieberma" wrote in message
. 18...

It's either VFR ir IFR.


It is a plan for a flight to be conducted under VFR, using ATC services to
VFR aircraft. There will be no IFR clearance involved. The IFR box only
serves to route the plan to ATC rather than FSS.

But if you are worried that it is an IFR flight plan, so what? There is no
rule against filing an IFR flight plan, only acting as PIC under IFR.

A Lieberma wrote:

Call it what you want, but the form on top says FAA Flight plan.

1.Type is either VFR or IFR.

If you select IFR, you are filing a IFR flight plan. No grey zone about
it, all you are doing is fudging the system to get a plan routed to ATC.

Suppose what you say is true. So what?

That box on the form should read: "Send flight plan to ATC? YES/NO".


VFR flight plans are not routed to ATC period.


But that's not the kind of flight plan under discussion.

Stan Prevost wrote:

As Milen says, check IFR (it is not an IFR flight plan, that is just a
routing flag for ATC vs FSS), put VFR or VFR/120 for 12,000 feet or whatever
your filed altitude is.


Use a VFR altitude. Such as VFR/125, VFR/075, etc.

Oops! You are correct, of course.

Stan


"Newps" wrote in message
...


Stan Prevost wrote:

As Milen says, check IFR (it is not an IFR flight plan, that is just a
routing flag for ATC vs FSS), put VFR or VFR/120 for 12,000 feet or
whatever your filed altitude is.


Use a VFR altitude. Such as VFR/125, VFR/075, etc.